There was a funny Cosby episode where Olivia asks Dr. Huxtable to see how tall she was. She stands against the wall, and Cliff marks the appropriate spot. Shortly thereafter she asks to be measured again. When he insists there is no way for her to be any taller, she exclaims, “I know my body!”

To be successful we have to know ourselves – more than just our bodies, though. We have to understand what makes us tick, our strong points, our weaknesses, and what really gets to us. I love personality profiles: Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, The Color Code, DISC, any one that I can afford, I take. This has given me a strong understanding of who I am. It has heightened my self-awareness, and I am more easily able to control myself in different situations. I still haven’t mastered my know-it-all syndrome, though (much to my peers’ dismay).

I just discovered this is all a part of EQ, or emotional intelligence. I just read and took the test from the book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0. They say this book explains why people with very high IQs tend to fail and why there are more successful people with lower IQs.

It measures on four quadrants: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, and Relationship Management. What did I find out? Nothing earth-shattering, but my biggest opportunity is relationship management. What I like about this program is that you can get e-mail reminders to work on your goals. Built-in accountability!

To conclude the Cosby episode, Cliff gives in and remeasures Olivia. It turns out she’s two inches taller. Being a doctor, Cliff is amazed and can’t understand it. As the episode unfolds, we find out that there were Kleenex stuffed in the heel of her shoes!

A personal note:
A project of mine is coming to a close. It was to get the rebates for speciality pharmacy drugs (injectibles). So, I got Jello-shot syringes, filled them with M&Ms, and customized a label, in order to thank my team. What’s amazing about recognition? It makes me feel good, too!

Jana Axline is president and leadership coach at Axline Solutions and author of Becoming You. Through her leadership musings she inspires audiences to grow as leaders and ultimately achieve who they were created to be. For more information visit Axline Solutions.